Escaping the Nightmare
by The Fragile Capricorn
Summary: The more he looked at it, the more it seemed less like a job, and felt more like the urge, the desire, to get her out of the nightmare they were currently in. Leon/Ashley.


**- Escaping the Nightmare. - **

_A Resident Evil [Leon x Ashley] Fanfic._

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_**Disclaimer: **No, no. I do not own Resident Evil or any related content. _

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"Leon, wait... I'm tired."

Ashley panted and leaned against the cold, hard stone wall inside one of the rooms in the large castle. Despite the lack of mentally able inhabitants, the castle was free of dust and dirt. Ashley was pretty much thankful that the room they found was empty and lockable, and the door was made of hard stone, so no one could get in even if they wanted to. Unless the overzealous zealots under Ramon Salazar's command carried rocket launchers.

The path that went straight forward seemed to lead to another quiet room. Given the circumstances they were in, their luck had finally started working. So unless the room behind the large, crimson double doors were filled with an angry mob handling pitchforks, spiky maces and detachable heads with fully-developed parasites growing out of their esophagi, they were safe. Zealots don't normally enter a room from the endpoint and start bombarding Leon and Ashley with medieval weapons. Salazar thought it wise not to have troops move from one room to another.

Ashley sat down on the carpeted floor and breathed in deeply. She was fit, but she wasn't used to running around, being chased by parasite-infested people and hiding. It was like a game of hide-and-seek, only more dangerous. Ever since Leon found her, her hours were spent doing nothing but run, hide in dumpsters or be constantly captured and retrieved. No wonder the intense work out took a toll on her body.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked, concerned, sitting down beside her.

"Yeah, yeah... I just need a break from all this running."

So Leon spent a few minutes loading, reloading and discarding worthless items. Finally, after deeming that the minutes were enough, he took the initiative to ask.

"So, let's go?"

"Just wait. I'm not as heavy-duty as you are, Leon," she retorted. She pulled her legs closer to her and rested her chin on her knees. Sometimes, when Leon beheaded enemies, Ashley wondered how long this nightmare would last. Her father seemed to think Leon was efficient enough to tackle on this mission on his own. She preferred it that way, though - she found a friend and a protector in Leon. He's the only one she could trust.

"Leon?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you ever get tired?"

"Tired of what?"

"Rescuing me everytime I get recaptured. Fighting all those Ganados. Risking life and limb just to get me out of here. Putting up with me. I know I'm a burden to you," she said.

"Hey," Leon grinned. "It's my job, isn't it?"

Job? The more he thought about it, the less it actually seemed to be a job. How many jobs put you smack dab in the middle of a remote Spanish town in Europe, landing you with a seemingly endless horde of bloodthirsty men all infected with parasites? It was sort of more of a fight for survival in the place. Just to escape the nightmare.

_Just to escape the nightmare..._

And unwanted flashbacks of Raccoon City raced through his head. First day as a rookie cop. Last day as a rookie cop. And he just had to get stuck in between flesh-eating zombies. He remembered his desperation just to get out. Just to get out.

And the current situation they were in wasn't any different. Ashley was like Claire, except she's the President's daughter. And she couldn't handle a gun. And she was as useful as dead weight. But she was still Ashley. Somehow, even with her helpless self, he managed to put up with her and actually develop a sort of feeling towards Ashley. He was, of course, well aware of how Ashley felt for him. At the time, at least. It might just be the product of the situation. He was the only one she could depend on.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, Ashley's cry of pain had Leon's thoughts running back to earth again. Quickly, he attended to the subject and asked her if she was okay. Ashley nodded. She looked weaker. Paler. Colder. This was the third time she looked like this since going into the castle. Leon had an inkling that the Plaga injected in Ashley was involved. He took her hand and held it tight. He felt her forehead, and then her pulse.

"Are you okay, Ashley?" he asked again. This time, Ashley managed a weak smile.

"I don't think this is gonna take long before I go against you."

"We'll find a cure, Ashley. We'll manage."

"Leon... Don't you ever get tired of this? Going through this nightmare with nothing but... but dead weight trailing you?"

Leon shook his head. "No. Just to get you safe."

"Because it's your job?" Ashley asked.

Again, Leon shook his head. "The more I think about it, the less it seems like it's my job, Ashley. I've been through a worse ordeal than this, and I know what it feels like to go through a situation this dangerous the first time. During my time at Raccoon City, all I wanted was a way out. I just want to get you out of this nightmare, Ashley. You've had enough."

Ashley smiled. Her admiration for Leon increased tenfold.

"So?" he said, once again. "Ready to go?"

"Ready. So you could get me out of this nightmare."

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_**A/N: **So. Tried my hand on a Leon/Ashley fic. I don't think it went on a bit too well, and IMO, it dragged on at some parts and lost the point, but this is my first try on a Leon/Ashley fic, and I hope you all go easy on me on this. RnR! :D_


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